


Seismic Shocks

by ChillyHollow



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family, Gen, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:55:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24858739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillyHollow/pseuds/ChillyHollow
Summary: Cormoran Strike has several emotional shocks in his life.
Relationships: Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike
Comments: 4
Kudos: 44





	1. Chapter One - Earthquake

**Author's Note:**

> I started out with a lighthearted story.

The first earthquake in Strike’s life happened on a Tuesday afternoon.

“I want to get married,” Robin said.

Cormoran could hear her in the other room of their small office, talking on the phone.He normally tried not to listen, he didn’t want to eavesdrop on his business partner’s private calls, but he’d accidentally heard her talking when he hung up his own call—he had no idea who she was talking to, having missed the earliest part of the conversation while on the phone himself.

Cormoran frantically tried to think back, was Robin seeing anyone?He didn’t remember her mentioning anyone, but her private life was her own and there was no reason she had to tell him what she was doing on the weekends or if she was seeing someone.Obviously she must be dating someone and it apparently was getting serious if she was talking marriage.He strained his ears to hear more. 

“I know, but it just seems natural to do it before a baby, not after,” she continued. 

Was she pregnant?! How had this happened and he didn’t even know she was seeing someone, much less having sex with them?!She didn’t sound upset, at least, so maybe this was someone she liked.He thought her very traditional family wouldn’t like her getting pregnant before marriage and they’d be against her not marrying the father, he was sure of that.So she was going to have to marry the guy to keep the peace.He hoped he was a good man.She might even be in love.Which was going to be hard to take, but he would do anything for Robin including smiling through another wedding to another idiot like Matthew even if he wanted to strangle him.

“No, not back in Masham.I’d prefer a small ceremony here in London.” 

Strike ground his teeth.He was going to have to keep telling himself not to punch the guy.It was Robin’s choice, after all, to have unprotected sex with someone, get pregnant and have to get married.But it didn’t sound like she was regretting the “have to get married” part—not that marrying was mandatory these days.She probably wanted kids.She seemed like the type.If she was pregnant but not showing, she was likely only two or three months gone, which means she’d be leaving him in around five or six months to have the baby and it was likely she wouldn’t come back to work, at least right away.He’d make every accommodation for her, of course, including having the baby here in the office.He’d do anything for Robin and her baby.He’d even refrain from hating the father.Maybe he shouldn’t promise himself anything that rash but he would try for her sake.

“I wouldn’t bother with a fancy wedding dress, either.It’s a waste of money better spent elsewhere.I would have preferred a flat downpayment to that ridiculous ring Matt bought me.It was over the top ostentatious.”Robin was silent while the other end of the conversation talked.Strike strained his ears to hear.

“He wants to get married in Masham?I thought if you were divorced on the grounds of adultery you couldn’t have a church wedding the second time around. It’s in poor taste, anyway.”

Strike found himself grinding his teeth again.Robin was marrying a man who had cheated on his first wife?What was she thinking?!

“Yes, I imagine Sarah wants the whole white wedding dress, big engagement ring, fancy honeymoon thing.Matt is so clueless he won’t notice the whole town talking about him going through another big wedding with the woman he cheated on me with less than a year after his first marriage collapsed. And she is nearly eight months pregnant to boot. I can’t believe that he has invited my parents to the wedding, either.”

“No, they aren’t going.Mum says she is tempted to go just to sit in the back and roll her eyes the whole time but Dad says weddings aren’t entertainment.” 

“I know it’s ridiculous but I’m not letting Matt’s silliness put me off marriage.I do want to get married again one day but nothing showy and not in Masham.No, I’m not seeing anyone.Sometimes I think….”

He tried to hear the next bit but Robin was speaking too quietly.She must have turned her face away towards the window.Hope sprang up in his heart.She was talking about her ex getting remarried, not about a wedding she was planning. 

There was a murmur from the other room but he couldn’t make out words.There was nothing for it, he was going to have to get up and go make tea and see if he could catch more of the conversation.He schooled his face to show nothing of what he was feeling (which was half terror and half hope) and picked up his empty mug.Getting to his feet he headed to the little kitchen area near Robin’s desk.

“…good to talk to you, Betsy.Yes, do let me know about the wedding.I can’t wait to hear all the juicy details!Bye now.”Robin hung up as Strike got close to the little sink.

“Want tea?” he asked Robin with an innocent look.At least he hoped he looked innocent.His heart was pounding in his chest.

“Yes, please.”

“Was that Barclay?He should be reporting in about now.”

“No, that was my Cousin Betsy.Matthew is getting married to Sarah Shadlock in a few weeks.She’s nearly eight months pregnant and Betsy says she looks like a great white blimp in the wedding dress fittings.Betsy works down the street from the bridal salon in Harrogate.Betsy also says that our friends are taking bets on whether Shadlock will have the baby before the wedding and have to have the dress taken in.”

“Do you mind?Him remarrying, I mean?”Strike asked, which more than a little hope in his heart.

“No, I’m just glad he’s going to be someone else’s problem.I was just telling Betsy I wouldn’t want the big church wedding or the fancy dress or engagement ring if I got married again.It seems so, well, it seems too showy, if that makes sense.” 

“I think something simple is more romantic somehow, don’t you?” Strike said.

“Exactly,” Robin said, accepting the mug of tea Strike handed her.

“I would like to get married in front of a few friends and let that be that,” Strike ventured, more to get Robin to talk than revealing anything he’d thought about.Even when he’d asked Charlotte to marry him he'd not thought about the actual ceremony.

“Same here.”

“Not that I'm seeing anyone,” Strike added, his heart in his throat.

“Me, either.But Matt’s getting married again made me think about it, and how ill-suited we were.He apparently loves the big, showy wedding.”

The phone rang.It was Barclay, reporting in. Robin put him on speakerphone and their attention immediately returned to the case at hand.


	2. Chapter Two - Shock and Awe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Then Matthew showed up.

The second shock to Strike’s system happened around a month later.He’d nearly forgotten Robin’s conversation about getting married—but not quite.Now he had a new worry in the back of his mind to obsess over on sleepless nights:Robin might find someone better than Matthew, and he’d lose her forever.He tried not to think about it but occasionally it was forced on him when Robin mentioned plans for the weekend that included men. So far nothing had turned into an actual date, but it was only a matter of time.

It was a late Friday afternoon and Strike was knackered.They’d been on surveillance together most of the day and their mark had wandered all over the boutiques in King’s Cross with her lover.Robin and Strike had dutifully followed despite his leg starting to balk by mid-afternoon.Robin was in trainers and being more used to browse-shopping, she was still relatively fresh by the time they gave up for the day and headed back to the office.So she ran lightly up the stairs to get the office door unlocked by the time he hauled himself up the iron stairs.She was nearly at the top when she tripped and started to fall backwards, grabbing at the railing to stabilize herself but failing to reach it.

Time stopped for Strike.He braced himself on both feet and held on to the railing for dear life with his left while he grabbed Robin as she fell with his right and pulled her into his chest.She grabbed onto his shoulder with one hand and the railing with the other and they swayed dangerously for a moment, then steadied.Strike found himself with Robin clasped to him in a death grip, her face turned to his, her pupils blown wide from the shock.Despite the fear that was sending adrenalin through his veins and causing his heart to hammer at a furious rate in his chest, it felt so right to have Robin pressed close.It was awesome, in fact.He very nearly kissed her, but somehow managed enough self-control to avoid that mistake.He was a man who overthought everything, after all.

“Jesus Christ, Ellacott,” he bellowed.“Take it easy.”

“I tripped, “ she told him, frowning.“Something’s not right.”She released her grip on the hand rail (but not on his shoulder, he was pleased to note) and turned toward the office door.He looked up at the area she was searching with her eyes and they saw it at the same time—there was a length of twine dangling from the baluster where it had been tied.Robin let go of Strike and took two steps up, with him right behind her.She pointed.“There is where it was attached to the wall. There’s a hole.My foot must have pulled a nail out of the wall.”

They retreated down to the bottom of the stairs, both leery of disturbing a crime scene.Strike pulled out his phone and called the Met.“Booby trap was left on the stairs to our office,” he reported.

Wardle was there with a forensic team within ten minutes.The forensic crew found a nail tied to the other end of the string that dangled over the empty stairwell out of sight.While the forensics had fun playing with fingerprint powder (to no avail), Strike and Robin and Wardle held an emergency meeting on the sidewalk outside the office.

“No dice from forensics, I’m afraid,” Wardle said, “And you two have plenty of enemies at this point.You are going to have to be careful….”

Strike was on his phone.Wardle didn’t look any too pleased to be ignored until Robin explained, “We installed surveillance cameras outside the office a couple of months ago.We might discover who tried to kill us from the video.”

Strike held up the phone so they could all see.On it a grainy black and white video showed a man hitting the wall with something that might be a hammer, tying twine to something out of sight, and then tying the other end to the baluster.Robin looked furious.“That’s Matthew.My ex,” she explained to Wardle.“What was he thinking?He might have killed or seriously injured one of us.”

“I expect that was the point,” Strike said dryly.“He probably was trying to get me, not you, Robin.He knows I am unsteady on my feet and he blames me for the breakup of your marriage.”

“I walked out on him because he cheated on me!” Robin nearly shouted. 

“I know but blokes like Matthew never take responsibility for what happens.It’s always someone else’s fault.I’m just the convenient fall guy.”

Robin shut up but she was still fuming.Wardle got Matt’s details and asked for the video to be emailed to him, collected the forensic team, and headed toward Matthew’s workplace to arrest him for attempted murder.“Might as well scare the shit out of him,” Wardle said cheerfully.“It’ll likely be downgraded to malicious mischief later but this should put the fear of God into him and coincidentally make for a fun day at the office for him, too.”

Strike declared the work day over and took the still furious Robin to the Tottenham for drinks and a pub burger with chips.Later that night he had a hard time falling asleep.He kept thinking about how Robin felt in his arms and how close he came to losing her through the stupidity and malice of her ex.


	3. Chapter Three - Uncle Ted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally Uncle Ted talked sense into us.

The next major blow to Strike’s world also came out of the blue. Strike was working one morning on a final report to a client whose case they had closed.Robin was updating the accounting program they used for the business and juggling hours on the spreadsheet they used to keep track of who was doing what at her desk.Strike’s phone rang and he picked it up, mind on what he was typing, only to find Aunt Joan in tears.He finally calmed her down enough to discover that Uncle Ted was in hospital with a possible stroke.The doctors were considering emergency surgery.He promised to be there as fast as possible.

By the time he was out of his office, Robin had closed down her computer and was packing up her things.“Go upstairs and pack a suitcase with a week’s worth of clothing.Give me the keys to your Mercedes.I’ll go gas it up and be back here to pick you up shortly.”In a daze, Strike followed orders.Robin was back to get him in no time.She drove them to her flat first.“I’m going with you and no arguments, Cormoran.Make us sandwiches and tea for the thermos while I pack.”

Strike concentrated on the task of supplying them with food for the journey while Robin packed a bag.She added her laptop and chargers to her bag and took it out to the Mercedes by the time Strike had a thermos filled with tea and thick ham sandwiches built.Robin tossed several bags of crisps into the paper bag of food and grabbed all the candy bars she had and threw them in also.Strike put her bag in the boot and the food in the back seat and climbed into the passenger side.Robin said she was driving the first leg to Cornwall.He was too fraught to argue with her.He spent the next hour on the phone to Barclay and Hutchins, re-arranging their schedules, while Robin drove, eating up the miles. 

They stopped for gas after two hours.Robin insisted she was good to drive for a while longer so Strike ate his ham sandwich and fed her pieces of hers along with their tea.Strike tried to concentrate on Robin’s driving and the scenery instead of his fears for what they would find when they arrived.Uncle Ted had been a rock his entire life.Life without him was going to be very difficult for his aunt and Cormoran knew it would be hard on him, too.He fielded a panicked call from Lucy and then a second from Aunt Joan, who was a little calmer as the doctors were more optimistic about Ted’s condition.Robin had Strike call Lucy back with the news while she continued to drive.“I’m good to keep driving and you need to talk to your sister about what your aunt said.I can’t do that for you.”

They stopped again for gas and to use the restrooms.Strike chain smoked outside the tiny service area while Robin got them coffees.He insisted on driving the last leg of the journey, telling Robin he knew the way from St. Astell like the back of his hand.He made a good job of it, managing to keep fear at bay by concentrating on the traffic and the road.Robin sipped her coffee and said nothing but she laid a comforting hand lightly on his thigh.It felt right and it gave him something to concentrate on besides the road and the terror that surrounded his heart. 

Ted was at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.It was across the bay from St. Maws, making it a good twenty minute trip from Joan’s and Ted’s cottage.Cormoran parked neatly near the emergency entrance as he knew Ted was likely in a floor over that.As soon as they arrived, he was on the phone to Joan who immediately came to the parking lot to fetch him. He introduced Robin who gave Joan a big hug.The trio headed into the hospital where they waited in a corridor outside where Ted was being evaluated.Cormoran sat between Joan and Robin, his arm around his aunt and Robin holding his other hand for moral support. 

They were there what seemed like hours but it was only forty minutes later when a nurse came for them and took them into a consulting room where Uncle Ted’s doctor told them that the stroke seemed to be minor.Uncle Ted had been given medication via an IV to break up the blood clot that seemed to have caused the issue.The doctor had ordered an echocardiogram to check that his heart was ok, but they were pretty sure the blood clot had dissolved.They would keep him overnight and watch him so that they could monitor further blood clots that might form and then evaluate him further tomorrow.If things went well, he’d be home soon. 

Aunt Joan refused to leave her husband, so Robin fetched her something to eat from the cafeteria, then she gently persuaded Cormoran to head for his aunt’s and uncle’s house to unpack their things and get some supper.They would come back after they ate and see if they could bring Aunt Joan home.Strike automatically drove to the little cottage that had been his one true home for his whole life, Robin’s hand back on his thigh.They unloaded the car and Strike showed the cottage to Robin.He put his things on his old bed.Robin was across the hall in Lucy’s old bedroom.Back downstairs, Robin put the kettle on and made them tea.Strike was just sitting at the table, suddenly exhausted.Robin brought him tea and when he didn’t respond, she touched his shoulder.He suddenly stood and pulled her into a hug.He held onto her like she was the only life raft in a stormy sea and cried, while Robin stroked his hair. 

Finally, ashamed, he pulled back a bit and tried to apologize.“Don’t,” she said.“Tears come from letting emotions out.It’s good to release them.He’s going to be ok, Cormoran.Here, drink your tea.I’m going to get the rest of the food out of the car.”She was back in a minute with a Twix which she broke in half.He ate the half he was given while Robin ate the other half. 

“Where shall we eat supper, Cormoran?”He applied his mind to the task of picking a place to eat that was on the way back to the hospital.Robin checked her phone and discovered they would need a reservation which she made.Then she sent him to the bathroom while she called Barclay and Hutchins and made sure they were doing fine. 

The Whitby was a fish restaurant in Penelewey just after they got off the ferry on the way back to Truro.The food was good, at least Robin said it was, although Strike didn’t taste much.He was still too worried to taste anything.Robin took him in hand, ordering for him, and getting slices of cheesecake to take with them for dessert later.In a short time they were back at the hospital in Truro.Cormoran called Aunt Joan and discovered that Ted was in his own room now. The nurses wouldn’t let Uncle Ted have more than one visitor at a time, so Robin sat in the hall talking to Aunt Joan while Strike went to see his uncle.Uncle Ted was drowsy but he recognized Strike.“Cormoran.Sorry to make you come all this way.”

“It’s ok.I wanted to see you.Robin drove most of the way, anyway.”

“She came with you?”

“Yes, she insisted on it.”

“Tell her,” Uncle Ted said.“Don’t let another day go by.You never know.”

Strike didn’t have to ask what his uncle meant.Although they had never talked about Robin and how Strike felt about her, his uncle was no fool.Strike held his uncle’s hand and told him to get better, that he’d be back tomorrow.He left his uncle asleep.

Robin had talked Aunt Joan into heading home with them.Cormoran drove, with Robin in the back seat and his aunt in the front next to him.He saw how tired Aunt Joan was and Robin must have known, too, because she put the kettle on as soon as they arrived and talked Aunt Joan into a small piece of cheesecake with her tea.Strike and Robin were still eating theirs when Aunt Joan headed upstairs to bed. 

Strike looked at Robin in the kitchen of the place he called home.She looked like she belonged.He thought of what Uncle Ted had said and he knew he had to tell her what she meant to him, whether she wanted a relationship or not.Uncle Ted was right—you never know what may happen, good or bad. 

“Robin,” he said.“I don’t know quite how to say this but you’ve become as necessary to me as breathing.It’s not a great time but I hope that you wouldn’t mind going out with me on a date one day.”

Robin, a forkful of cheesecake half way to her mouth, put it down on her plate.She looked straight into Strike’s eyes and said, “Cormoran, you are as necessary to me as breathing as well.”She stood up and pulled Strike to his feet.They stood facing each other.She took a step forward, then another, so that they were nearly touching.Then they were kissing and it was if the world had exploded all around them and there was nothing left but RobinRobinRobin and her hands around his neck and her body pressed against his.Nothing would ever be quite the same.

Of all the explosions in his life, this was the best by far. 


End file.
